English Premier League 2018-19: Title, Top Four And Relegation Predictions

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Vincent Kompany of Manchester City lifts the Premier League Trophy alongside David Silva, Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho as Manchester City celebrate winning the Premier League Title during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Huddersfield Town at Etihad Stadium on May 6, 2018 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

It's that time of year again. The 2018-19 English Premier League season begins Friday, which means it's time to look forward and make some bold prediction about how the final table will shake out. Who will finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League? Who will be relegated? Most importantly, who will win the title?

1. Manchester City

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City return pretty much every piece from a side that scored 100 points and ran away with the title last year. They're at a stage where they're snatching up Riyad Mahrez, one of the best players in the league the last three years, not because they needed him but just because. It's good to be king, and the Sky Blues are the undoubted kings of the Premier League at the moment.

2. Liverpool

Last season was an enormous step forward for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. The Reds finished fourth in the Premier League but made it all the way to the UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid. Now their challenge is to build on that, go deep in Europe again, and challenge for the Premier League title. With most pieces in place from last year, plus Xherdan Shaqiri, Naby Keita and Alisson, they've got a shot.

3. Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino has one of the best young squads in the world at his disposal, but there will be a few factors working against them this season. First, all the raises and extensions needed to keep that young squad intact has had an effect on their transfer dealings, and Spurs still haven't signed any new players. Second, the entire core of the squad played deep into the World Cup and could be tired to open the season. All that being said, this is still a prodigiously talented side, and a top-four finish is expected.

4. Arsenal

Hello, old friend. It's a new era in North London, as Unai Emery takes charge of a revamped Arsenal squad. The Spaniard is set to use a high-pressing style in the first year post-Arsene Wenger, and so far the players have responded to the change in system with aplomb. With attackers such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal should be one of the top offensive squads in the league, while central defense remains an issue. All told, though, there's a renewed energy at the club under Emery, and it should be enough to push the Gunners back into their traditional top-four spot.

5. Manchester United

Make no bones about it, this was an awful preseason for Manchester United and manager Jose Mourinho. Between injuries and post-World Cup vacations, United was missing 17 first-team players from preseason training at one point. To make matters worse, the club has been slow to act in the transfer market and are now attempting to engineer huge moves on deadline day, never an enviable position. With unhappiness building amongst the players as well as in management, this may be the season it all comes crashing down for Mourinho at Old Trafford.

6. Chelsea

Not to be outdone, Chelsea had an awful preseason and offseason. It became clear at the end of last season that Antonio Conte wasn't long for Stamford Bridge, but the club waited until preseason training was underway to sack him and bring on former Napoli man Maurizio Sarri, leaving the squad with an abbreviated camp to learn an entirely new system. They're finally getting involved in the transfer market and making moves for Kepa Arrizabalaga and Mateo Kovačić, and it seems Eden Hazard is set to stay. But with everything that went on this summer, the Blues may have already blown their shot at the top four.

7. Everton

8. Wolverhampton Wanderers

9. West Ham

10. Leicester City

11. Burnley

12. Crystal Palace

13. Southampton

14. Bournemouth

15. Brighton

16. Fulham

17. Newcastle

18. Watford

The first team on the relegation chopping block is Watford, which finished in 14th fairly comfortably last year. Since then, Wolves and Fulham have been promoted and are doing everything in their power to stay up, while Watford has stagnated. They lost star man Richarlison and didn't sign a replacement in an already meager attacking unit. They did extend Abdoulaye Doucoure's contract and brought in Gerard Deulofeua on a permanent deal, but those moves only keep the status quo, which could spell doom for the club's time in the Premier League as their competitors improve.

19. Huddersfield Town

David Wagner did brilliantly to keep Huddersfield up last season and earned a deserved contract extension for the feat. But the bottom of the Premier League is stronger than ever thanks a couple really strong Championship sides and a general increase in parity across the league. The Terriers, who scored just 28 goals last season, will need to significantly increase their scoring output if they want to stay up again.

20. Cardiff City

Newly-promoted Cardiff City wasn't even expected to challenge for promotion in the Championship last season, but the Bluebirds overachieved and finished second. On paper, they have one of the weakest squads in the Premier League and have only bolstered it with transfers of players from the Championship. This will likely only be a brief return to the Premier League spotlight for Neil Warnock and Cardiff.

I am a freelance writer/blogger/reporter covering anything and everything in sports. My work has appeared on sites such as Bitter Southerner, Deadspin, DawgNation and Sports On Earth, where I covered world soccer and the intersection of sports and pop culture. My focus is on...